1. Field
Embodiments of the invention are directed to computer aided design (CAD) and, in particular, to systems and methods for managing the processing of multiple CAD drawings.
2. Description of the Related Art
CAD software is often used by designers, architects, engineers and the like, to prepare two-dimensional (2D) CAD drawing(s) or three-dimensional (3D) model(s) representing different physical objects, such as mechanical devices, bridges, buildings, automobiles, airplanes and the like. Oftentimes, the more complex the object, the more complicated the drawings tend to be that illustrate the particular object. For example, with respect to a building, a CAD drawing can include details on the structural components of the building, such as the beams, columns, walls, floors, windows, doors and the like (“frame”).
Most CAD designs are generated as a result of collaborative and iterative processes between multiple designers. For example, with respect to a building, after the frame is designed by the architects and structural engineers to create a base CAD drawing of the building structure, that base drawing is then sent to other designers and/or subcontractors to add their components to the design, such as HVAC ducting, plumbing layouts, electrical chases, fire sprinkler lines and the like.
During the design process, the various designers have multiple options for creating CAD designs for their specific portion(s) of the project. In the simplest case, all the designers can utilize the same CAD program used to create the base drawing. However, in many instances, designers utilize third-party programs that are specific to their particular field, which requires exporting data from the base drawing to the third-party program, creating the design using the third-party program and importing the data from the third-party program back into the base drawing.
Alternatively, certain designers utilize a stand-alone product with its own 3D intelligent design engine, such as the AUTOSPRINK program offered by M.E.P. CAD, Inc. (Las Vegas, Nev.), to both create the base drawings and add subcontractor designs, such as with fire sprinkler systems.
With multiple designers participating in the design and review processes on various versions of the CAD drawings for a particular object, a number of problems can arise with respect to managing modifications, identifying and/or resolving conflicts, the reconciliation of 2D and 3D drawings, coordinating associations between related drawings and the like. For example, in the process of adding M.E.P. (“mechanical, electrical, and plumbing”) trade designs to a base building or structural drawing, it is common for conflicts to arise between different objects within that drawing (e.g., objects that share the same physical space). Moreover, oftentimes when one object is moved or revised to address a particular conflict, another conflict may be created.
Furthermore, to expedite the design of subcontracted components for a particular project, different subcontractors often work on their modifications to a building design in parallel with one another. These parallel modified CAD drawings are then combined to create a complete design. While faster in some ways, this parallel process can create conflict problems, especially for large drawings. Furthermore, even though a subcontractor may only be responsible for a handful of conflicts, that subcontractor would typically be sent the entire drawing with all the different subcontractor conflicts along with a video and/or a conflict report, and be expected to find their conflicts and resolve them. As a result, a first conflict resolution meeting or design review will often be followed by several additional conflict resolution meetings as the correction of one set of conflicts can generate other problems. Hence, extensive time and resources are often expended to identify and correct conflicts with CAD drawings.
Moreover, when sets of drawings are sent from one party to another (e.g., an architect to a general contractor), the drawings can become disassociated or detached from one another. These changes can require substantial time and resources on the part of the receiving party to reload each drawing into a CAD program and attempt to visually re-associate each of the drawings to avoid broken references and/or other errors.